雙語智慧書·剛直的人

29．剛直的人
　　剛直的人堅持正義，不屈不撓，無論是暴民之沖動，抑或是暴君之淫威，都不會令其有失公允。但是，誰能成為這樣一個不死鳥式的公正人物呢？追隨正義的人屈指可數(shù)。確實有許多人贊美這種品德，但只希望別人去實踐。有的勇于實踐，卻往往知難而退；危難當頭，偽君子棄之若敝，政客將之改頭換面。堅守正義，就不在乎其是否與友誼、權勢甚至私利相沖突，所以便有被人拋棄之危險。狡猾之人巧言惑眾，大談所謂為了服從上級，或是為了國家利益。但率直忠貞之人卻視其為背信棄義。他們更注重堅貞不屈，而非所謂的精明。這樣的人總與真理為伴。若他們拋棄了某一群體，則是因他人背棄了真理，而非他們變化無常。

29．A man of rectitude
　A man of rectitude clings to the sect of right with such tenacity of purpose that neither the passions of the mob nor the violence of the tyrant can ever cause him to transgress the bounds of right. But who shall be such a Phoenix of equity? What a scanty following has rectitude! Many praise it indeed, but－for others. Others follow it till danger threatens; then the false deny it, the politic conceal it. For it cares not if it fights with friendship, power, or even self-interest: then comes the danger of desertion. Then astute men make plausible distinctions so as not to stand in the way of their superiors or of reasons of state. But the straightforward and constant regard dissimulation as a kind of treason, and set more store on tenacity than on sagacity. Such are always to be found on the side of truth, and if they desert a party, they do not change from fickleness, but because the others have first deserted truth.